Labour and the Conservatives were embroiled in a high-stakes row over whether to stage an immediate vote of no confidence in Theresa May’s government after the opposition chose not to table a binding vote on Monday night.

The opposition accused No 10 of “running scared” because it had refused to allow time to debate an alternative, non-binding no-confidence vote in May as prime minister – while the Tories hit back, saying that Labour had “bottled it”.

Jeremy Corbyn had demanded a “vote of no confidence in the prime minister” at about 6pm after May told MPs she would delay holding the Brexit vote – originally pulled last week – to the week of 14 January.

The Labour leader said: “It’s bad, unacceptable, that we should be waiting almost a month before we have a meaningful vote on the crucial issue facing the future of this country.”

We’re closing down this live blog now but you can read our full story here:

May doubles down over Brexit as Corbyn calls for confidence vote

At the heart of the somewhat disorientating spectacle in Westminster this evening is this relatively straightforward fact: The official opposition, Labour, can call a binding confidence vote in the government that, if won, would lead to a general election (provided no government commanding the confidence of the house was formed within two weeks).

Jeremy Corbyn decided not to do so, but to table a non-binding motion of no confidence in the prime minister, which is not the form of words explicitly called for by the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act and does not force the government to allot any parliamentary time.

Labour has attempted to engage in a game of brinkmanship with the prime minister, saying that refusing to hold the vote would show Theresa May is running scared. Behind this is, perhaps, the calculation that enough of those who have declared themselves dissatisfied with May’s leadership would take the bait and back Corbyn’s motion.

Key players, however, have lined up behind the prime minister and it is now the government telling Corbyn he is running scared of a full no-confidence vote.

Since Jeremy Corbyn tabled his motion, there have been conflicting reports about whether or not the government will agree to allot time in the parliamentary schedule.

As we noted earlier, support for the prime minister was explicitly forthcoming from her own hard Brexit-supporting backbenchers and her restive confidence and supply partner, the DUP, making it unlikely Corbyn would win (you can read more about that here).

That led some to speculate that Theresa May would allow Corbyn’s vote to go ahead because she was confident she would win it – that was certainly the line being briefed to the Daily Telegraph shortly after Corbyn’s motion was tabled.

Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford)

EXCLUSIVE

Theresa May WILL allow time for Jeremy Corbyn's vote of no confidence in her tomorrow.

Told Government is convinced she will win - she has the backing of the ERG and DUP.

As of now, 8.50pm, govt will NOT allow time for Jeremy Corbyn's motion to be debated becuase it would be in words of a number 10 source, 'silly political games' - because it would have no status under law (discuss)

Later in the evening, a Downing Street source said the government would set aside no parliamentary time for a vote.

We won’t allow time for what is a stunt. The FTPA (Fixed-Term Parliaments Act) applies if Labour wants to put down a motion under the terms of that.

In short, what that meant was that, if Corbyn felt he could win a binding vote of no confidence in the government as a whole, rather than a non-binding one in the prime minister herself, then – as far as the government is concerned – he is free to table one on Tuesday.

Indeed, at the last opportunity on Monday, as Parliament was rising for the night, other opposition parties announced they had submitted an amendment they believed would turn Corbyn’s motion into such a formal vote.

Vince Cable (@vincecable)

Labour are now clearly letting government off the hook. Working with others, @libdems have tabled an amendment to the @jeremycorbyn motion which would give it real teeth and bring a vote before MPs. Labour are running out of excuses. Their subterfuge on #peoplesvote must end. pic.twitter.com/VKOoUqsdch

However, that was not initially thought to be binding because, by convention, votes of no confidence that have to be debated the next day have to be submitted by the leader of the opposition, in this case Corbyn, as well as using the specified form of words. A Labour source is playing down the move as a non-starter.

Afternoon summary

Andrew Sparrow

Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour will table a motion of no confidence in Theresa May personally because she has delayed the vote on her Brexit deal. This is not the same as a proper motion of no confidence in the government and, unlike a proper motion of no confidence, the government does not have to allow time for it to be debated. Labour could hold a debate on the motion when it next gets allocated a day for an opposition debate, at some point in the new year, or it may never get put to a vote at all. (Labour sources have so far not clarified this point.) But the Labour party is arguing that, if the government does not allow time for a debate itself, that shows it is scared of losing and that May does not have the confidence of the Commons.

Labour Whips (@labourwhips)

. @jeremycorbyn has just announced that he is tabling a vote of no confidence in @theresa_may for refusing to bring forward the meaningful vote immediately. The Govt must now make time to debate this - if they don’t it’s clear they believe she does not retain confidence of HoC

This a specious argument (it’s like a rookie election candidate challenging the sitting MP in a safe seat to a debate, and then claiming the MP is running “running scared” when s/he says no) but it is probably the best available to Labour in the circumstances. Earlier the party briefed that Corbyn was going to issue this threat in his statement responding to May after 3.30pm, not at the end of the session as a point of order. At the time Corbyn appeared to have dropped the move in response to May announcing in her opening statement that the vote would take place in the week beginning Monday 14 January - a non-concession (see 5pm) that Labour claimed as a victory.

The Labour Party (@UKLabour)

BREAKING: With the risk of a no confidence vote in her leadership, we have forced the PM to bring her botched Brexit deal back to Parliament.

She wanted to waste time to create a false choice between her bad deal and no deal. But we won’t let her. pic.twitter.com/4FFnqmOuUs

May has used her Commons statement to claim that she secured significant concessions on the backstop at last week’s EU summit. (See 5pm.) Her claims failed to impress MPs, and she was repeatedly told that even in January her deal will be voted down. When pressed on what would happen in those circumstances, she refused to elaborate, implying that she would be willing to press ahead with a no-deal Brexit, but without being absolutely categorical on this point.

What Corbyn's motion of no confidence in Theresa May will say

This is what Jeremy Corbyn said in his point of order at the end of Theresa May’s statement.

It’s very clear that it’s bad, unacceptable that we should be waiting almost a month before we have a meaningful vote on the crucial issue facing the future of this country.

The prime minister has obdurately refused to ensure a vote took place on the date she agreed, she refuses to allow a vote to take place this week and is now, I assume, thinking the vote will be on January 14 - almost a month away.

This is unacceptable in any way whatsoever.

So, as the only way I can think of ensuring a vote takes place this week, I’m about to table a motion which says the following: ‘That this House has no confidence in the prime minister due to her failure to allow the House of Commons to have a meaningful vote straight away on the withdrawal agreement and framework for future relationships between the UK and European Union.’

Corbyn announces he is tabling a motion of no confidence in Theresa May personally

The statement is now over. Jeremy Corbyn rises to make a point of order. He says putting off the vote until January is unacceptable. He says he will table a motion saying the House has no confidence in the PM because of May’s failure to hold a meaningful vote immediately.

Corbyn announces he is tabled a motion of no confidence in Theresa May personally.

So we are back were we were just before 3.30pm.

It is no clearer now than it was then whether this is a motion that will actually be put to a vote. (See 3.12pm and 3.22pm.)

May says it is not possible to revoke article 50 and then trigger it again a few months later. The European court of justice ruling on this was clear, she claims. She says revoking article 50 means staying in the EU.

Asked if May is saying that, if her deal is voted down, she will definitely proceed with a no-deal Brexit, May says that the process she will follow is set down in legislation (ie, the government will make a statement and allow MPs to vote).